GIRMOS - an infrared multi-object spectrograph for Gemini

Gemini have funded a design study to investigate the technologies needed in a versatile multi-object spectrograph for infrared astronomy. We report on our investigations into wide-field spectroscopy using multiple integral-field units (MIFUs) to match particular areas of interest to the available detector(s). Such technologies enable integral field spectroscopy of several targets over a much wider field than can be covered with a single IFU. A brief overview of the scientific rationale for a multiple-IFU capability matched to multi-conjugate adaptive optics, and with its wider uncorrected field, on Gemini is given. A proposed method of deploying MIFUs is then described along with the optical consequences of the method.